Abstract
ABSTRACT The demise of the authoritarian regime in 1998 has led to heightened contestation of ideal femininity on various platforms, threatening the state-endorsed dominant ideal femininity, state ibuism. Our study explores how marriage self-help books written by Muslims in post-authoritarian Indonesia portray ideal femininity. Intended to offer guidance to young Muslim readers on what to look for in a future spouse, these books promote an Islamised version of neo-ibuism. Modifying the masculine bias found in interpretations of the Muslim holy scripts, these books on the one hand support women’s increasing public roles and contribution to the family’s income, but on the other hand, sustain women’s subordinate position to men’s in the domestic setting. In doing so, these books aim at both challenging status quo ibuism and preventing young Muslim women from being swayed by emerging alternative ideals, especially those promoted by (Muslim) feminist movements.
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